Central Minnesota Turkey Pardoned for Thanksgiving this Year

Every year there is a tradition that honestly, I don't really understand.  It's the yearly tradition of the current President of the United States pardoning a turkey ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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This year, there were two turkeys that have been pardoned.  One regular turkey and one turkey as an alternate.  The turkeys that are being pardonded were announced on the first day of the Minnesota State Fair.  And according to Bring Me the News, it's the first time in 30 years that the turkeys have come from Jennie-O in Willmar.

This marks the first time in 30 years that the company has supplied the pardonees for Thanksgiving ceremony, the company told the Star Tribune, adding that the birds will spend the night in the famous Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. before the pardoning ceremony with President Joe Biden. 

Yes, you read that right  The turkeys get to spend the night in a hotel ahead of the pardoning ceremony.  Nice digs for a couple of birds.

Apparently the tradition dates back to the Truman era, but the pardoning ceremonies only started being an annual tradition in the 1980s.  What happens after the ceremony?  The birds are eventually sent to Disney World and then they participate in the parades on the grounds there.  Pretty good life for a couple of birds.

They will not be anyone's Thanksgiving turkey on the table.  They might be AT someone's table, however.  Ok, that part might be made up, but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised.